Research has shown that missing too much school has long-term negative effects on students, such as lower achievement and graduation rates. In December 2016, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 410 to encourage and support a preventative approach to excessive absences and truancy.

The key elements of our Absence Policy based on the passage of this bill include:

Absence is tracked in hours rather than days, this means that being tardy or early dismissal contributes to “hours absent”.

The hours accumulate throughout the entire year, not only for a grade period or semester.

When a student has excessive absences, parents will be notified within seven days and the student will follow an absence intervention plan.

Definition of truancy and excessive absences:

Definition of “habitual truant" is:a) Absent 30 or more consecutive hours without a legitimate excuseb) Absent 42 or more hours in one school month without a legitimate excusec) Absent 72 or more hours in a school year without a legitimate excuse

Includes “excessive absences”:a) Absent 38 or more hours in one school month with or without a legitimate excuseb) Absent 65 or more hours in one school year with or without a legitimate excuse